Former North Melbourne star Tarryn Thomas to be barred from football if fresh charges are proven; AFL; Essendon Bombers; Geelong Cats; Bartel

It is not yet known how Thomas will plead to the charges.

It is the second time Thomas has been charged for offences against women. In July, the disgraced footballer admitted in court to threatening to share intimate videos of his ex-girlfriend in 2022. He was ordered to pay $1000 to charity, but avoided a conviction.

The midfielder’s arrest on Tuesday came just three months after he had been sacked by the Kangaroos for threatening a woman.

The club terminated the footballer’s contract, when, in February, the AFL’s integrity unit found he had repeatedly threatened a woman via direct messaging.

The league imposed the 18-match ban on Thomas on the same day, noting the unit’s findings that he ”had engaged in multiple acts of misconduct including threatening a woman via direct messages multiple times.”

The AFL imposed behavioural requirements for Thomas to return to the elite level after the conclusion of his suspension, including successfully completing a behavioural awareness program at his own expense. The decision on whether Thomas is allowed to return will be made at AFL executive level.

Thomas’ potential return to the AFL had already been the subject of debate in the days before the news broke that he was again being investigated by police.

Debate was prompted by Essendon coach Brad Scott’s public support for Thomas to return to the league once the suspension was lifted. Scott’s statements in support of Thomas were made prior to the most recent charges.

Scott, the former long-term Kangaroos coach, said his starting point for all players was one of providing support.

“I’ve known Tarryn since he was 14 and my view is he’s a good person,” he said, adding that Thomas had made “terrible” mistakes.

“But I just tend to think that people make mistakes. If you keep making the same mistake, there’s an issue, but as leaders we expect young people to make mistakes.”

Scott’s support for Thomas – which came against the backdrop of a national outcry against the rising cases of violence against women – was met with scrutiny and prompted AFL great Jimmy Bartel to oppose Thomas’ return.

Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified the following night on May 1, the former Geelong champion and current GWS director said: “I get the whole premise of forgiveness and chances. He’s had a number of chances for his alleged behaviour, [I’m] just tabling that.

Bartel, whose father physically abused a young Bartel, his mother and sisters, added: “At some stage, there’s got to be a fork in the road because the forgiveness angle hasn’t worked – because the [domestic violence] numbers are actually getting worse.”

Thomas had been contracted with the Kangaroos until the end of 2024, and had completed four different behavioural programs during his time at the club in an attempt to address his inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Earlier this month, this masthead revealed that North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt had written to her 17 club counterparts detailing the measures taken to change Thomas’ behaviour, and laid bare the club’s frustration over their repeated attempts to rehabilitate him.

Thomas’ manager, Ben Williams, has been contacted for comment.

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